The present invention relates to the general art of locks, and to the particular field of special applications for locking automotive vehicles.
Car theft is one of the most prevalent crimes in most cities. In some cities, some vehicles can be stolen in less than one minute. This problem raises insurance rates for everyone and creates headaches for car owners and law enforcement agencies alike.
In view of this problem, the art contains numerous examples of locks and tracking devices and systems, all of which are intended to defeat a potential thief, or track the vehicle so a thief cannot dispose of the vehicle before being apprehended.
Many of these locks are complicated and difficult to place and thus may not be used. Some of the locks are extremely expensive and thus may be marginally effective.
Therefore, there is a need for a lock for a motor vehicle which is secure yet which is inexpensive and easy to operate.
While some locks, such as the steering wheel “club” are fairly easy to operate, they are also easy to defeat by a potential thief who has the right tools. This problem arises because the “club” is positioned in a location that is easily accessed by a potential thief. The thief need only break through a window and he has immediate access to the club.
Therefore, there is a need for a lock for a motor vehicle which is easy to set and release by an authorized person, yet which is positioned in a location that is inconvenient and difficult to reach for a potential thief who may wish to defeat the lock.
Still further, some mechanical locks are specific to particular vehicles and cannot be used on other vehicles. For example, certain steering wheel locks will fit one variety of vehicles but cannot be fit on the steering wheel of other vehicles.
Therefore, there is a need for a lock for a motor vehicle which is amenable to use on a wide variety of vehicles.